2015 academy discussion thread (with some FS thrown in for good measure)

[Conor_Dillon]

That's an absolute joke if they really do bring that 25% back to 20% for academy kids. Imagine the look on Eddie's face if they don't decide to bring it in until next year, though.

[chalbilto]

That's an absolute joke if they really do bring that 25% back to 20% for academy kids. Imagine the look on Eddie's face if they don't decide to bring it in until next year, though.

It would be nice but I think that it will be in place for this year. Yes I also agree that it's an absolute joke about the discount, but as Gil said (I think) to the swans "you can't have everyone".

[Conor_Dillon]

An annual investment of $1.5m deserves more than a 20% discount...going to be really interesting how it all plays out.

[goswannies]

It would be nice but I think that it will be in place for this year. Yes I also agree that it's an absolute joke about the discount, but as Gil said (I think) to the swans "you can't have everyone".

Gil, we don't want everyone. The top 3 would be fine

[The Big Cat]

The 25/15% or 20/20% discount makes little difference for us next as what we pay extra on Mills we will get back (a little less perhaps given their relative points value) on Dunkley.

[Mug Punter]

That's an absolute joke if they really do bring that 25% back to 20% for academy kids. Imagine the look on Eddie's face if they don't decide to bring it in until next year, though.

No argument from me there.

I do think, however, that this year really is the exception rather than the rule.

Eddie is delusionally thinking that the academies are going to produce top 5 draft picks.

Our real benefit will being getting local talent guaranteed that is fully background checked. We will get some real benefit in drafting players with pick potential 15 - 40 who we believe have the intangible qualities to be quality AFL picks.

And when the once in a decade player like a Mills comes along then we can still have him but need to give up a player.

I would like it to be 25% but I still think there is a bit in this. What we do need to do get this sorted out and get that fat @@@@@ from Collingwood off his soapbox

[stevoswan]

Thanks for the link CureTheSane. Based on that information Collingwood has the least amount of entitlement to be playing Anzac Day. They had the lowest number of servicemen of all refused to drop out of the VFL in 1916-1918 and refused to contribute to the Patriotic Fund. Typical of these cowardly, self entitled parasites.

The Anzac Day match should be either rotated amongst the clubs or go to the GF teams of the previous year. Outside of the GF it's the greatest draw card in terms of membership, dollars and branding for Collingwood and Essendon which is grossly unfair.

The last two lines of said article absolutely say it all;
"It?s not about war, but fuzzy war memory and an Anzac industry that has cashed in on it.
More importantly, it?s about getting a crowd to the ?G and that?s why the Pies are there."
Gee I wish Eddie and his Pies.........no actually, just Eddie, would go away. At least it's not the only match on the hallowed day anymore.

[YvonneH]

Gee I wish Eddie and his Pies.........no actually, just Eddie, would go away. At least it's not the only match on the hallowed day anymore.

If ANZAC day is a public holiday then there will be only 1 game on that day (Pies Vs Bombers).
The only reason that there were more this year was that it fell on a Saturday.

[707]

20% for both is terrible, I was hoping that they would just align F/S with the 25% or academy players. 20% gives you as little as one ND position for pick 1 and never any more than 6 ND positions which kicks in mid teens through to about pick 40. This has now become very little bonus for running the academies.

5% may not sound much but it's a lot of extra points needed if your academy player is right at the pointy end of the draft like Mills is expected to be.

Best we can hope for now is for Mills to drift in the rankings. Reckon Brisbane will be spewing about Heeney as his arrival on the scene has given the strugglings Lions a diffult situation now with them having two highly rated prospects in ths years draft.

[rojo]

Hopefully, someone of influence down there in Melbourne can stand back and see the huge impact Isaac Heeney, potentially, is going to have for AFL in Sydney/NSW. There are no guarantees but if he does become a home-grown AFL 'star' he could be as influential as Buddy in fostering interest and drawing crowds, down the track. Is it possible for Mills to come in and have a similar home-grown 'star' impact? Despite the angst of those down south this surely is a good thing for the AFL!!!!

The cost of drafting an Academy player has got to be fair, not punitive. If the system the Commission decides on is not going to be fair we need its implementation to be deferred until 2016. That has to be the trade off - probably over Eddie's dead body - which would help sweeten the grim reality for the Swans.

[Mug Punter]

20% for both is terrible, I was hoping that they would just align F/S with the 25% or academy players. 20% gives you as little as one ND position for pick 1 and never any more than 6 ND positions which kicks in mid teens through to about pick 40. This has now become very little bonus for running the academies.

5% may not sound much but it's a lot of extra points needed if your academy player is right at the pointy end of the draft like Mills is expected to be.

Best we can hope for now is for Mills to drift in the rankings. Reckon Brisbane will be spewing about Heeney as his arrival on the scene has given the strugglings Lions a diffult situation now with them having two highly rated prospects in ths years draft.

I expect an unwritten rule that the academy clubs will never pick each other's products. Sure Eddie may well try and ambush our picks but I expect Club's in the bottom six to be more worried about their lists and not sabotage us.

The biggest advantage is that we have control over the academy selections and our drafting strategy. It gives us a significant extra strong to our bow draft wise.

Remember these Henney types are largely an aberration and if they are not then Eddie has a point unfortunately. The thing is does is give us absolute access to our academy picks provided we can meet the price. The advantages of having a largely home grown list and the ability to pre-screen our draft picks for 10 years before selecting them is priceless.

And if a once-in-a-generation player (a Carey type) comes along through the system we have a right to him. Sure we might have to trade a player but he is ours and we decide what we give up. It would almost be impossible for us to trade for a #1 pick in the current system due to what we'd have to give up (I would have said we'd have had to bundle Hanners and Parker) but we can afford it in the new system.

I would like 25% but if I was Pridham I'd accept it with a bullet proof assurance that this system will be given 10 years and be independently assessed "as a system" (i.e. not on the Swans success alone) in 10 years time. Clubs cannot be expected to invest in their academies without certainty

[S.S. Bleeder]

20% for both is terrible, I was hoping that they would just align F/S with the 25% or academy players. 20% gives you as little as one ND position for pick 1 and never any more than 6 ND positions which kicks in mid teens through to about pick 40. This has now become very little bonus for running the academies.

5% may not sound much but it's a lot of extra points needed if your academy player is right at the pointy end of the draft like Mills is expected to be.

Best we can hope for now is for Mills to drift in the rankings. Reckon Brisbane will be spewing about Heeney as his arrival on the scene has given the strugglings Lions a diffult situation now with them having two highly rated prospects in ths years draft.

I agree. F/S selections are a romantic notion for a club whilst academy selections are both a romantic notion and a financial investment by a club. The academy selections MUST receive a greater discount. Why should a club get the same discount for a F/S selection when they have spent nothing on them. It's only a matter of luck that the kids Dad played for that team.

[S.S. Bleeder]

Hopefully, someone of influence down there in Melbourne can stand back and see the huge impact Isaac Heeney, potentially, is going to have for AFL in Sydney/NSW. There are no guarantees but if he does become a home-grown AFL 'star' he could be as influential as Buddy in fostering interest and drawing crowds, down the track. Is it possible for Mills to come in and have a similar home-grown 'star' impact? Despite the angst of those down south this surely is a good thing for the AFL!!!!

The cost of drafting an Academy player has got to be fair, not punitive. If the system the Commission decides on is not going to be fair we need its implementation to be deferred until 2016. That has to be the trade off - probably over Eddie's dead body - which would help sweeten the grim reality for the Swans.

That would be the only fair thing to do as we have already invested in the academy assuming that we would get a satisfactory return on our investment, i.e. Mills and Dunkley. However, I can't see it being deferred.

Eddie wanted this, or a similarly discouraging system, in place last year and we all know he has his puppeteer hand up Gillions bum. His main gripe against us is Heeney, Mills and Dunkley. Next year will be too late for that.

[Conor_Dillon]

Tom Browne -@TomBrowne7- from Channel 7 tweeted last night that "...father son tweaks and academy changes didn't get approved by commission on Tuesday, they've asked Mark Evans for more info first"
This can surely only be a good thing?

[YvonneH]

Tom Browne -@TomBrowne7- from Channel 7 tweeted last night that "...father son tweaks and academy changes didn't get approved by commission on Tuesday, they've asked Mark Evans for more info first"
This can surely only be a good thing?

Can anyone see where this has been reported in the media i.e. Herald Sun, Age, AFL.com.au etc. At first glance I cannot see anything about this